Body pulled from Washington river after callers report person floating, officials say

A body was recovered from a Washington river after authorities received several reports about an adult floating facedown and lifeless, according to a news release from the Spokane Fire Department.

First responders were dispatched to multiple locations along the Spokane River at 9:38 a.m. on March 6, the release said.

Several of the department’s Special Operations Teams arrived at the scene and used powerboats, kayaks and low-angle rescue equipment to search for the body. Agents also worked with the Spokane Police Department to look for the body from different locations, the release said.

Authorities received several more calls about the body’s whereabouts. Pedestrians on a bridge said they saw the body float under the bridge, but lost sight of it as it moved downstream, the release said. Shortly after, a kayaker contacted rescuers, saying they had also seen the body. Officials discovered the body about 100 yards from the last reported sighting, the release said.

Responders from the operations teams and Spokane police removed the body together, the release said. Officials have not released the person’s identity or cause of death, KHQ reported.

This story was originally published March 7, 2022 at 3:23 PM with the headline "Body pulled from Washington river after callers report person floating, officials say."